A Kingdom of Priests

What God is offering His people is a return to the relationship that Adam and Eve had with God in the Garden of Eden. They had unbroken access to God’s presence, His intimate fellowship. God’s idea was to reflect something of Himself in us humans. We are not gods, but we are meant to reflect God, which is a mind-blowing thing. How do we reflect God? One of the main ways we reflect His image is that He placed creation under our care. God shared His authority with humans. He shared His power. He didn’t have to. He delighted to. It’s part of His overflowing nature, overflowing with love and grace and goodness. God created His people to be kings and priests. It’s what we were made for. You’re probably thinking, “My life doesn’t feel very royal. My kingdom is full of dirty diapers and dirty dishes and dirty laundry. And I don’t feel much like a priest either. Robes? I have a lot of mud caked on my coveralls. This is so far removed from my reality it’s almost ridiculous! I’m a long way from Eden. What in the world does it mean that we are kings and priests?” It means that our daily lives, our daily grind, must be understood in a new way. You are meant to bring God’s purposes into being in the realm where you have influence, in a world broken by sin. There are people doing that all over this church, mostly in quiet ways. You are reflecting God’s character into a dark world. By God’s grace, your work on earth of changing diapers or changing oil; it is done in His name and in His presence. He is with you where you are. All of life is holy. And everything you do can be done as an act of worship.